Combination heating and humidifying device



Aug. 23, 1966 N. DE BREE 3,263,169

COMBINATION HEATING AND HUMIDIFYING'DEVICE Filed June 9, 1964 1 fizezzfor fife/$022 fieflfee United States Patent 3,268,169 COMBINATIONHEATING AND HUMIDIFYING DEVICE Nelson De Bree, Portage Township,Kalamazoo County, Mich., assignor to Portage Engineering Company,Kalamazoo, Mich, a partnership Filed June 9, 1964, Ser. No. 373,805 3Claims. (Cl. 237-78) The present invention relates to apparatus forheating and humidifying air Within a building, and is particularlyconcerned with such apparatus designed for use in conjunction with a hotWater heating system, often called a hydrouilc system, and especiallywith the currently popular baseboard type of heating system.

Heating of homes by means of circulating hot water is highly desirable,since it permits uniform control of temperature and provides heat freefrom fumes and air pollution sometimes encountered with hot airconvection systems. Moreover, with modern baseboard heating structures,heat exchange units are provided which do not materially detract fromthe decor of the interior of a home. However, hot water heating systemshave the disadvantage that, since heat is provided solely by means ofconduction and radiation, the humidity of the ambient air cannot bedirectly controlled by the introduction of moisture into the heatingsystem itself. As a result, separate humidifying means are ordinarilyrequired to maintain the air within a room or building heated by a hotwater system at the proper humidity.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means forhumidifying the air of a building heated by a hot water system. It is afurther object to provide such an apparatus which may be utilized inconjunction with an existing or usual heating system. It is still afurther object to provide such an apparatus which is relatively simpleto construct and operate, and relatively foolproof in its operation, sothat little personal attention is required during its normal operation.It is another object .to provide a combination apparatus of the typedescribed which may also be utilized as a heating means for a particularroom of the building, obviating the need for a separate heating unit inthe room in addition to the humidifier.

The accomplishment of the foregoing and additional objects will becomemore fully apparent hereinafter.

According to the invention, a combined heater and humidifier to beutilized with a hot water heating system is provided having a housingcomprising a water tank in its lower portion and an air chamber in itsupper portion. Two heating circuits are provided which are connected tothe main heating system. One circuit is provided to heat the water inthe tank. A second circuit comprises a heat exchange unit mounted in theair chamber. A fan is provided for circulating air through the housing.The fan may be conveniently connected to a suitable control such as themain heating system water pump electrical circuit. A baflle means isprovided to deflect the air current produced by the fan and to preventit from striking the water surface directly. The heat exchange unitnormally heats the air in the air chamber which is then circulated intothe room by the fan. When demanded by a humidity sensing or sensitivedevice, e.g., a humidistat, hot water is caused to circulate through theheating circuit in the tank, heating'the Water contained therein andcausing it to be vaporized into the air to increase the relativehumidity of the air within the buildmg.

The invention in its preferred embodiment is illustrated by theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-section of the combined heater and humidifieraccording to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-section of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings for a betterunderstanding of the invention, wherein all of the parts are numberedand wherein the same numbers are used to refer to corresponding partsthroughout.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown in a preferredembodiment comprising a housing 1 formed of a water reservoir 2 and acover 3 defining an air chamber. The water reservoir and cover areaffixed together by means of a flange 4 provided on the water reservoir2 and a flange 5 provided on the cover 3. The flanges are securedtogether by suitable means such as bolts 6. A fan housing 7 is suitablymounted on the cover 3. Within the fan housing a motor 8 is afiixed bymeans of a motor bracket 9 and has a fan blade 10 affixed to the end ofthe shaft 11 thereof. A bafile plate 12 is mounted by suitable means atthe top of the reservoir 2 and positioned below the fan housing 7. Thebaffle plate 12 preferably extends across the width of the reservoir andover a portion, e.g., a little over one-half, of its length. The size ofthe baffie plate is not critical and can be made substantially smalleror larger than that shown. The function of the baflle plate is toprevent the air current from the fan from striking the surface of thewater within the reservoir directly, especially at an angle normalthereto, and consequently causing too much water to be entrained anddischarged via the air current. The cover 3 is provided with a vent 13comprising an opening in the cover at the end opposite that at which themotor housing is positioned (and has a suitable protective means in theform of a screen 14 over the opening). The water reservoir 2 is providedat one end with a water inlet 15 controlled by a conventional floatvalve assembly, designated generally as 16, actuated by a float, orequivalent means to maintain the desired water level within thereservoir 2.

The heating means is mounted in the cover 3 and comprises a hot waterinlet 18 and outlet 19. A water conduit 20 is arranged to be immersed inthe Water of the reservoir 2 when the cover 3 is affixed thereto forheating the water. A flow valve 21 operated by electrical means such asa solenoid is positioned at the inlet of the condui-t 20. It may be'connected electrically to a humidity sensitive device such as ahumidistat 25 connected to an electrical source 26 and placed in acritical part of the building. Air heating is accomplished by means ofav heat exchange loop 22 comprised of a water conduit 23 havingradiating fins 24 afiixed thereto.

The apparatus of the invention is placed in operation by connecting thefloat valve assembly 16 to a Water supply. The water heating inlet 18and outlet 19 are connected to the central heating system utilized forheating the building. The flow valve 21 is connected to a humiditysensitive device such as a humidistat. The fan motor may be connected tothe circuit which supplies current to the pump motor utilized to pumpthe Water through the central system. Alternatively it may be actuatedby means of a suitably placed thermostat.

In the arrangement shown in the drawings, the heating liquid such as hotwater circulates through the heat exchange loop 22 whenever, in responseto the demand of the central thermostat, the central motor pump causesthe heated liquid to be circulated. The fan motor 8 may be similarlycontrolled and causes the heated and/or humidified air within the airchamber to be circulated through the vent 13 and into the room to beheated or humidified.

When the humidity of the air surrounding the humidity sensitive deviceis at or above the value for which the device has been set, the flowvalve 21 remains closed and the water reservoir 2 remains substantiallyat room temperature. Since the flow of air within the chamber isindirect with respect to the surface of the water, as a result of theshielding action of the baflle plate 1 2, no substantial amount of watervapor is added to the heated air circulated from the housing. However,when the value of the relative humidity goes below that for which thehumidity sensitive device is set, the flow valve 21 is opened,permitting heated water to flow through the conduit 21 and causing thewater within the reservoir 2 to be heated. As a result, the heated waterwithin the reservoir evaporates at an accelerated'rate, increasing thewater vapor content of the circulated air. When the humidified air hascirculated through the building and raised the relative humidity to thevalue for which the humidity sensitive device has been set, the flowvalve 21 is again closed and the apparatus of the invention once againfunctions only as a heater Although the invention has been illustratedin the drawings only in the form of a preferred embodiment, manyvariation-s will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Forexample, the baflle p-alte 12 may be made in various shapes and sizesand may be placed in various positions. The prime requirement is thatthe air introduced by the fan be deflected or directed so that it doesnot directly strike the surface of the water within the reservoir. Forexample, an elbow conduit may extend into the air chamber defined by thecover and direct the air flow so that it is substantially parallel withthe surface of the water at the time it leaves the conduit.Alternatively, the tan housing may be mounted at the end of the cover sothat it directs an air flow parallel to the surface of the water.Alternatively, although not preferred, the fan may be geared to a veryslow speed of rotation, in which case the baffle may be omitted.

In the embodiment shown, wherein the housing is provided in the form oftwo shells secured together at their flanges by bolts, the apparatus maybe readily disassembled to remove scale and other sediment from theconduit 20, which forms during the normal period of operation.Alternatively, the apparatus may be provided in the form of a unitaryhousing which has a removable cover or panel at its top or end, throughwhich the conduit may be cleaned. The fan motor 8 may be actuated by aroom thermostat, by the main water pump circuit, or by any othersuitable means. It may even be permitted to run continuously, with theheat supply being controlled solely by the central hot water feed.

The housing and associated structure may be constructed of suitablesheet metal or any other material capable of withstanding thetemperatures normally encountered in use.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exactdetails of construction, operation, or exact materials or embodimentsshown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will beapparent to one skilled in the art, and the invention is therefore to belimited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combination heating and humidifying apparatus adapted to beutilized in conjunction with a hot water heating system including ahumidity sensitive device, said apparatus comprising a housing having awater reservoir at its lower portion and defining an air chamber abovesaid reservoir, a fan mounted at one end of said air chamber forintroducing air therein and vent means at the other end of said airchamber for discharging air therefrom, a hot water heating andhumidifying assembly mounted in said housing and comprising an inlet andoutlet, an air heating conduit connected to said inlet and outlet andarranged in said air chamber for heating the air therein, a Waterheating conduit connected to said inlet and outlet and arranged to beimmersed in and to heat water contained in said water reservoir, a flowcontrol valve connected in series with said water heating conduit andadapted to be electrically connected to said humidity sensitive device,and baffle means mounted below said fan and above said reservoir fordeflecting the air current therefrom away from direct impingement uponthe surface of Water contained within said reservoir, whereby hot waterflowing through said air heating conduit causes the air within said airchamber to be heated, whereby said baffle prevents the air from said fanfrom causing an undue amount of water from said reservoir to beevaporated, whereby when increased humidity is demanded by said humiditysensitive device said valve is opened and hot water permited to flowthrough said water heating conduit to heat and evaporate water containedwithin said reservoir, and whereby air so heated and humidified iscaused to be discharged from said vent.

2. An apparatus according to claim '1 wherein said baffle covers a majorportion of the surface of said water reservoir.

3. A combination heating and humidifying apparatus adapted to beutilized in conjunction with a central hot water heating systemincluding a humidity sensitive device, said apparatus comprising ahousing having a reservoir in its lower portion and defining an airchamber above said reservoir, a motor and fan mounted on said housing atone end thereof arranged to force air downwardly into said air chamber,and vent means mounted at the other end thereof for discharging air fromsaid chamber into the ambient atmosphere, baflie means mounted in saidhousing between said fan and said water reservoir and covering a majorportion of said reservoir for deflecting the air current from said fanaway from the surface of water contained within said reservoir, a dualheating system mounted in said housing adapted to be connected to saidcentral heating system comprising an inlet and outlet, an air heatingsystem connected to said inlet and outlet and arranged in said airchamber for heating the air contained therein comprising a hot waterconduit having radiating fins mounted thereon, a water heating conduitconnected to said inlet and said outlet and arranged to be immersed inthe water contained in said water reservoir for heating and evaporatingsaid water, a flow control valve connected in said water heating conduitfor controlling the flow of water therein adapted to be electricallyconnected to a humidity sensitive device arranged externally of saidhousing, and means for introducing water into said water reservoir andmaintaining the level thereof, whereby the air in said chamber is heatedby said air heating conduit, whereby when increased humidity is demandedby said humidity sensitive device said valve is opened and hot waterpermitted to flow through said water heating conduit to heat andevaporate water contained within said reservoir, and whereby air soheated and humidified is circulated into the ambient atmosphere.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,115,767 11/1914Bain 23778 1,926,462 9/1933 Stark 23644 1,991,339 2/1935 Ullman 236782,282,013 5/1942 Wetzsteon 236-44 X FOREIGN PATENTS 319,876 7/1934Italy.

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner.

1. A COMBINATION HEATING AND HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS ADAPTED TO BEUTILIZED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEM INCLUDING AHUMIDIFYING SENSITIVE DEVICE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVINGA WATER RESERVOIR AT ITS LOWER PORTION AND DEFINING AN AIR CHAMBER ABOVESAID RESERVOIR, A FAN MOUNTED AT ONE END OF SAID AIR CHAMBER FORINTRODUCING AIR THEREIN AND VENT MEANS AT THE OTHER END OF SAID AIRCHAMBER FOR DISCHARGING AIR THEREFROM, A HOT WATER HEATING ANDHUMIDIFYING ASSEMBLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND COMPRISING AN INLET ANDOUTLET, AN AIR HEATING CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID INLET AND OUTLET, ANDARRANGED IN SAID AIR CHAMBER FOR HEATING THE AIR THEREIN, A WATERHEATING CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID INLET AND OUTLET AND ARRANGED TO BEIMMERSED IN AND TO HEAT WATER CONTAINED IN SAID WATER RESERVOIR, A FLOWCONTROL VALVE CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH SAID WATER HEATING CONDUIT ANDADAPTED TO BE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID HUMIDIFY SENSITIVE DEVICE,,AND BAFFLE MEANS MOUNTED BELOW SAID FAN AND ABOVE SAID RESERVOIR FORDEFLECTING THE AIR CURRENT THEREFROM AWAY FROM DIRECT IMPINGEMENT UPONTHE SURFACE OF WATER CONTAINED WITHIN SAID RESERVOIR, WHEREBY HOT WATERFLOWING THROUGH SAID AIR HEATING CONDUIT CAUSES THE AIR WITHIN SAID AIRCHAMEBR TO BE HEATED, WHEREBY SAID BAFFLE PREVENTS THE AIR FROM SAID FANFROM CAUSING AN UNDUE AMOUNT OF WATER FROM SAID RESERVOIR TO BEEVAPORATED, WHEREBY WHEN INCREASED HUMIDITY IS DEMANDED BY SAID HUMIDITYSENSITIVE DEVICE AND VALVE IS OPENED AND HOT WATER PERMITTED TO FLOWTHROUGH SAID WATER HEATING CONDUIT TO HEAT AND EVAPORATE WATER CONTAINEDWITHIN SAID RESERVOIR, AND WHEREBY AIR SO HEATED AND HUMIDIFIED ISCAUSED TO BE DISCHARGED FROM SAID VENT.